The Original Rider Waite Tarot Pack by Arthur Edward Waite
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Book Reviews of The Original Rider Waite Tarot Pack
Book Review: kool
Summary: 5 Stars
kooBook Review: The best Waite Tarot available.
Summary: 4 Stars
I thought I was done with the Waite Tarot, having given my original deck to my girlfriend and ever since I'd been an avid user of Crowley's Thoth deck. But this classic deck has tempted me ever since, I couldn't help but miss the stark simplicity of it all.
I'll admit, when I first opened up this pack I was sorely disappointed. I actually purchased it at a local metaphysical bookstore and, ironically, it was the only deck there that didn't have a sample pack for customers to examine before buying. I went ahead and bought it, since every picture online of this deck looked so clean, clear, and even. Well...
The first card I saw was "The Fool", and was taken aback at how similar it looked to the first version of this deck I bought (black & blue plaid backing verson). "The Magician" was also disapointingly similar to that deck. The tiny orange speckles used for pigment were a major turn off as well. But, it was too late. The celophane was removed, it was my deck now.
After taking it home, shuffling it, and laying them out, I almost immediately changed my mind. Within the first spread was the 6 of swords; the color shading on this card is really quite beautiful. The light blue backgrounds on cards such as the 2 of swords and The Universe are soft and antiquiated. Overall the deck kind of reminds me of the "vintage" version of Monopoly... which I really don't mind at all.
No, this deck isn't perfect. Then again, neither were the original drawings. I suppose I was expecting a drastic shift from the traditional, very poorly colored pack. I personally do not like the fresh and polished look of the Universal Waite deck or any of its variations. This 'Original Rider-Waite' is the closest one can get to a classical looking version of the Waite Tarot.
Book Review: A distinctive printing of the cards, with a tiny Waite book
Summary: 4 Stars
The Rider-Waite-Smith is a classic deck, the most popular of all Tarots, and the de facto standard in the English-speaking world. This particular printing is rather interesting. Apparently, an attempt was made to faithfully reproduce one of the early decks made from the original plates. The most notable consequence is in the color rendition: these cards have a distinctly yellow-tan cast compared with other widely available printings. Whether this is good or bad, I suppose, is a matter of personal preference. It certainly gives the cards a rich patina, but cards with a lot of blue in them end up a dull shade of turquoise.The set includes a tiny, but readable, copy of Waite's famous guide to the Tarot, sans illustrations. This makes the set a nice choice for someone who has a passing interest in what Waite wrote about the cards, but not enough to put a regular edition of his book on the shelf.
It is often recommended that Tarot beginners start with a Rider-Waite-Smith deck. If the color rendition of this printing appeals to you, this set can make a nice starter--although Waite's book will need to be accompanied by something a little more accessible and tutorial in flavor, such as Mary Greer's "Tarot for Your Self" or Rachel Pollack's "78 Degrees of Wisdom".
Book Review: Nice additon to a tarot collection
Summary: 4 Stars
I love the rider waite deck, I own 4 versions of it. I love to see the cards in different colors and different back designs. I have the Rider Waite, Universal rider Waite, Radiant Waite and Just got the Original version. What I like about it is that the cards a slick so you can spread them out in a line, This is good because some readers like to pull cards that way, The other waite decks do a poor job at spreading the cards out. The Back design is nice much better than the regular rider waite's Plaid. The Colors are soft, So some people bright colors are to much for the eyes, I don't have that problem but its can be nice to have a softer darker deck to work with, + Some clients may also like softer colors. The Radiant is very bright and is Full of color and the universal is light. The One thing I do not like so much is the dots on the faces of the people. But I can deal with that. This is a good starter deck, But If you want a deck with more color go with a clone deck like the universal or radient.Book Review: "original" deck is an interesting artifact, but not the source of deeper insight
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought the "original" deck because I've been using the "standard" US Games Rider Waite deck for nearly 20 years -- I learned about Tarot symbolism with this deck. I thought it would be good to see the artist's original conception, but, apart from some color variation, there is no significant difference; in fact, the drawing and the color resolution on the US Games Rider Waite is actually better than on the "original." The stock in the "original" deck is also flimsier, and the cards are smaller. I'm glad I bought this deck, though; from a collector's point of view, I think it's important to have it. For readings, however, I will continue to use my old deck. I also recently purchased the so-called "Thoth" deck, Alestair Crowley's contribution. If you really want to understand Tarot in a new way -- if you want to see how someone who spent decades studying comparative religion and many different culture's occult traditions understood the cards -- this is the deck you should study.